Sabadell and Jadran Split completed the list of the participating clubs in the 2027 Champions League, earning the last two remaining berths on the last day of the qualifications.
Neither game that decided the last two competitors in the elite league was exciting.
Sabadell kept 2nd place in Group B, beating host A-Polo 22:12.
Jadran Split defeated Honved 12:6 in front of its home crowd to finish 2nd in Group C.
All participants in the 2027 Champions League: Barceloneta, Pro Recco, Ferencvaros, Olympiacos, Mladost, Waspo 98 Hannover, Radnicki, Jadran Herceg Novi, Marseille, Steaua, Novi Beograd, Brescia, Panathinaikos, Oradea, Jadran Split, Sabadell.
The field is almost the same as in the 2026 season. The new clubs in the top 16, compared to the previous season, are Steaua and the only debutant, Panathinaikos, replacing Primorac and Vasas.
The draw of the groups will be conducted tomorrow.
2027 Champions League Qualifications, Day 3
Group A (Oradea)
(quarters 1:4, 3:3, 3:4, 3:0)
Oradea: Kholod 3, Fulea 2, Vancsik 2, Czenk 1, Oltean 1, Velkic 1.
Novi Beorad: Martinovic 4, Pljevancic 1, Cuk 2, Bajic 1, Perkovic 1, Meszaros 1, Hofmeijer 1.
Since both teams qualified for the Champions League, the match carried no importance, but both teams played for pride.
Early in the second quarter, Novi Beograd had a 5:1 lead. Oradea halved the gap a few times, but the Serbs rebuilt a 4-goal advantage before the final quarter (11:7). The Romanians converted three out of their four man-up chances in the fourth period, coming very close to the rival in the 31st minute (10:11). They had two opportunities to equalize. Still, Novi Beograd saved the victory before a penalty shootout.
(quarters 3:2, 4:2, 3:2, 3:0)
Spandau 04: Culina 3, D’Souza 2, Boskovic 2, Hofmann 2, Bauer 1, Marek Tkac 1, Vujicic 1, Caraj 1.
Strasbourg: Stojanovic 3, Furman 1, Gusakov 1, Kujacic 1.
Spandau, which had lost a realistic chance to reach the Group Stage already on Day 1 after a penalty shootout loss to Oradea, found enough motivation to play a good game at the end of the tournament.
Photo: CSM Oradea
The Berliners dictated the pace. It built a 3-goal lead midway through the second period (6:3). Over the next ten minutes, the teams traded goals until 9:6. Spandau then scored four unanswered goals in the next nine minutes and a half for a comfortable victory.
Final standings: 1. Novi Beograd 9, 2. Oradea 5, 3. Spandau 4, 4. Strasbourg 0.
Group B (Tbilisi)
(quarters 3:5, 3:5, 2:7, 4:5)
A-Polo: F. Gardasevic 5, Moskov 2, Vuksanovic 2, Bitadze 1, Vasic 1, Sladovic 1.
Sabadell: Averka 7, F. Valera 3, R. Valera 2, Corres 2, De Toro 2, Vergara 2, Carrio 1, Cabanas 1, Perez 1, Larsen 1.
A-Polo got off to a dream start. The hosts scored in each of their first three possessions and ran to a 3:0 lead. But their attack stalled, and the defense quickly fell apart. Sabadell started dominating. The Spaniards scored seven goals in a row and turned around a 3-goal deficit to a 7:3 advantage (10th minute).
Rafael Real Vergara (Sabadell) Photo: Tamuna Kulumbegashvili
The Georgian team never recovered from that shock. A-Polo cut the gap to two in the middle of the second period (5:7), but Sabadell responded with a quick 3:0 run to take a 10:5 lead (14th minute). Sabadell completely demolished A-Polo’s defense in the third period, so the fourth one was just a formality.
(quarters 4:3, 5:4, 3:5, 5:5, PSO 4:1)
Budva BDR: Mrsic 6, Cagalj 3, Djurdjic 2, Stanojevic 2, Dragovic 1, Vukcevic 1, Biljaka 1, Savic 1.
Brescia: Leinweber 7, Ferrero 2, Popadic 2, Guerrato 2, Del Basso 1, Lodi 1, Cutajar 1, Giri 1.
Today’s only game that didn’t affect the standings—Brescia secured 1st place yesterday, while Budva couldn’t move from the bottom—was the most exciting match of the day.
Budva, aiming to earn consolation points, built a three-goal lead late into the first half (9:6). Brescia started coming back. In the 23rd minute, the Italians went ahead for the first time -12:11, but Budva leveled immediately. The teams were in a neck-and-neck race throughout the final period. They were tied at 16:16 before the 32nd minute. Popadic gave Brescia a 17:16 lead, converting a man-up with 37 seconds to go. Stanojevic responded with a 6-on-5 goal just 13 seconds before the buzzer, securing one point for Budva.
Goalkeeper Dejan Lazovic made two saves in the shootout, and his contribution was crucial to another point for the Montenegrin team.
Final standings: 1. Brescia 7, 2. Sabadell 6, 3. A-Polo 3, 4. Budva 2.
Group C (Split)
(quarters 2:4, 3:3, 1:4, 0:1)
Honved: Ekler 3, Araya 1, Vickovic 1, Simon 1.
Jadran Split: Butic 2, Curkovic 2, Zovic 2, Skejic 2, Matkovic 2, Pejkovic 1, Busic 1.
The first two duels in Split were close contests, and the decisive match for 2nd place lacked excitement. Jadran secured a victory well before the end.
The hosts opened the match with a 2:0 lead in the first four minutes and maintained the difference until the end of the first half (7:5). Araya made it 6:7 in Honved’s first possession in the third period, and the Hungarians endangered Jadran’s lead once again. However, the Hungarians , who had a terrible conversion rate on 6-on-5 shots (1/14), didn’t score a single goal in the remaining 15 and a half minutes.
Photo: VK Jadran Split
Jadran dictated the pace in a low-scoring second half. Nerdo Skejic set the final score, 12:6, in the 25th minute.
Panathinaikos bye
Final standings: 1. Panathinaikos 6, 2. Jadran 3, 3. Honved 0.
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Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: total-waterpolo.com
